A Chara-cter study.
Chapter 3: A hole new world.
Chara's head throbbed. She was unable to breathe or turn herself over. How had she survived that fall? She almost blacked out a second time, when she finally let out a weak cry.
"Hello? Is someone there? Oh, my! You look hurt!"
A hairy hand held hers, and helped her to her feet.
"Come here. My mom and dad can help you."
Chara limped and stumbled as she walked down the path toward a large house. Was this a dream? It was impossible to comprehend everything she was seeing, not the least of which being the person who had been guiding her.
"Aah!" Chara let out a short scream when she saw what looked like a goat standing on its hind legs and wearing clothes.
The goat boy jumped, and stepped backward. He started to breathe hard, but when none of them did or said anything for a few seconds, he was the first to speak.
"Howdy! My name's Asriel? You… you don't look like any monster I know. What are you?"
Asriel looked back at the spot where Chara had fallen, then up toward the opening.
"Oh my! Are you a human? But… You're a kid, right?
"What… where am I?"
"This is the underground. A long time ago, the humans and monsters had a war. We were all stuck down you since then."
"Monsters! Are you going to steal my soul?"
Asriel shook his head violently. "No, I'm not going to take anyone's soul! Why would you say something like that?"
It figures that even that woman would be wrong, trying to make her life miserable like all the rest of them. Chara's face twisted back into a smile. Asriel turned his head to the side, but never took his eyes off Chara.
"Listen… I know Monsters and Humans didn't get along, but that was a long time ago. No one here is going to do anything to you."
The twisted smile on Chara's face faded. Could this place be what she had wanted for such a long time? It did not take long for her outlook to change, however. Cecil showed promise, too, but once his parents were involved, no hope remained for that friendship, and if humans really drove the monsters underground, Chara doubted they would be kind to her – the adults, anyhow.
"My… My name is Chara," she said. She resigned herself to her fate. Whatever was going to happen would happen. At the very least, her problems would end shortly, regardless of the manner in which they ended.
"Chara? That sounds like a good name. Do you have a last name?"
"It's… It doesn't matter. My family… They're dead."
"Oh." Asriel's face drooped. He stared at the ground. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine what it must be like to live without my parents."
"What does it matter, anyhow? Do we really need parents?" Chara said, color returning to her cheeks after the fright of seeing Asriel for the first time.
"My parents are great! Everyone here loves them! I mean, it's because my dad is… Well, you'll see."
"You're taking me straight to your parents?" Chara said, stopping.
"It's fine, Chara. My parents won't hurt you. I think they will be happy to see someone new."
As they walked through the caves, the memory of what she had done flitted briefly back into Chara's mind. Maybe she had just gone mad. Everything seemed real, except for something that looked like a star. Chara reached out to it.
"What… What are you doing?" Asriel said. Chara felt something she had never felt before. Some of her nervousness disappeared. This was something new. She was going to see it through. "What did you see, Chara?"
"It's like a star," Chara said.
"What are you talking about? We can't see stars here. I have heard about them, though. I wish I could see real stars."
They walked past a tree with leaves all around its base. "It's not autumn. Why are all the leaves already off this tree?"
"We're here."
"Here…"
Chara stopped. Asriel turned around and smiled. "Don't worry, Chara. You're going to love it here." He held Chara's hand. Chara pulled her hand back, but Asriel's smile was kinder than anything she had ever seen.
A deep voice called out, "Asriel? It is almost time for dinner.
The sudden confidence that the star had given Chara disappeared just as quickly. An enormous, furry, horned man stepped through the door and stopped to stare.
The next few moments of silence felt like an eternity.